High School of the Dead + One

「Fourteen Dead」

Dark clouds loomed in the sky. It was sprinkling outside the high school, leaving the white-haired adventurer with nothing to do but wander the building.

It had only been two weeks since her first attempt at sneaking in the building, and she was starting to get really good at it.

The schedule for the gate was simple—it closed at exactly 7:45 and wouldn't open until a few minutes before school let out at 3:00; even if a student is running late, they won't let them in—and the teachers rarely patrolled the hallways, allowing her access to anywhere she wanted to go. Her main problems were the PE teachers, who wondered the halls when they were on break, and Hisashi.

Today was going to be slightly different, though. Kohta Hirano, the over-weight boy she had helped two weeks ago, usually skipped a class or two to hang out wit her and show her around, but he was going to get a passport and visa so he could go to America over the summer, so she was left alone, wondering the halls, debating on whether or not to go play in the rain.

In truth, she should've gone back to her own school, claiming to wake up late or something, and go to her classes (even if the gates closed, it didn't mean she couldn't climb over and get out), but the high school was so big and she still had a lot to see!

She headed down the second floor hallway, heading for the open, bridge-like hallways that connected the second floor of the main building to the second floor of the Management Building, a building mainly used for it's observation tower. Before she could reach it, however, a high school student, one she hadn't seen, stepped out of the men's restroom.

His shoulder-length auburn hair was pushed behind on of his ears, showing a series of three or four piercings. His uniform jacket was opened, a tallow shirt with 'BAD LINE' printed on it in white, English letters.

"What are you looking at?" he barked, narrowing his brown eyes at her.

"Just a bug," she replied, looking pointedly at him, but instantly regretted it.

Last night, in a fit of drunken stupor, her father had thrown her into the coffee table. She had landed weird and somehow managed to twist her wrist, leaving it swollen and painful—she couldn't even lift her bag this morning; there was no way she'd be able to defend herself if this guy decided to hit her.

"Did you just call me a bug, you little brat?" he spat.

Crap. How was she supposed to get out of this one?"

"What's wrong boss?" another guy wondered, coming out of the bathroom, confused.

Before she heard what he said, she darted past them, speeding down the hallway as fast as she could.

"Come back here!" he shouted, chasing after her.

Curse her tongue. Why didn't she ever learn to keep her mouth shut?

As she rounded a corner, hands reached out and snagged her by the waist. She was pulled against something warm and hard before she could react, fabric brushing her face—a shirt maybe?

Her heart pounded in her chest.

Who in the world was holding her!?

"Wha—"

She was cut off, a hand covering her mouth as the footsteps of the guys passed by. They trailed off, everything going silent as their voices faded away.

The person holding her let out a relieved breath, uncovering her mouth. "Thank God," he breathed.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at Takashi, baffled. "What are you... but how did you... Huh?"